Remus and the Marauders
by whenthesnowleopardmeetsthehare
Summary: Remus Lupin didn't expect to fit in, so when he finds himself friends with the Marauders he begins to enjoy life, despite his "furry little problem". Though developing a crush on Sirius wasn't intentional, or intelligent. Will he cope? Eventual RL/SB. ABANDONED!
1. Kings Cross Station

**Title**: Remus and the Marauders

**Rating**: T (for future chapters, though currently for safety)

**Summary**: Remus Lupin didn't expect to fit in, so when he finds himself friends with the marauders he begins to enjoy life, despite his "furry little problem". Though developing a crush on Sirius wasn't intentional, or intelligent. Will he cope? Eventual RL/SB.

**Warnings**: Future Remus/Sirius content.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything, alas.

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><p>Upon arrival to Kings Cross Station, eleven year old Remus Lupin failed to prevent himself from letting out a small squeak of excitement. He hurriedly glanced at his watch, strapped firmly around his left wrist, and interpreted the assortment of dials.<p>

The watch was impossible to read unless one knew how and Remus had prized himself in solving the function of each dial, unassisted, however, one dial still puzzled him.

A small gold dial located in the top-left corner was the only source of the time, and after a quick scan, Remus confirmed it was 10:55.

"Hurry Remus," his mother snapped, her face was red and she was gasping for breath as she hurried across the crowded station, dodging muggles, who were bustling along unaware of their surroundings.

"Now remember, be on your best behaviour, you're only going because of special conditions, so don't cause Professor Dumbledore to regret his decision," his father said gravely. "And make sure no one finds out about your condition. And Professor Dumbledore will explain everything to you tomorrow about your _you-know-what_."

As he said the last few words, Remus' father glanced suspiciously around at the muggles passing by them, as if expecting them to know of his son's condition from his vague words.

"Oh, and have fun and try your hardest to make some friends, I'm sure you'll be fine!"

Remus didn't reply. He was afraid of making friends as he knew he shouldn't expose them in any way to his condition. If any students found out, he would have to leave Hogwarts: many parents wouldn't be pleased that their children were exposed to a werewolf while at school.

The wall between Platforms 9 and 10 loomed between ahead of the small family, and with one final glance to make sure no muggles were watching, Remus' father pushed the trolley and ran at the wall. Remus knew he was going to slip through it but flinched all the same, half-expecting to hear a bone-shattering crunch. But when he opened his eyes, his father was gone.

His mother slipped her soft hand into his and gave it a quick squeeze, "Ready?" she mouthed. Remus nodded, this was the moment he'd been awaiting ever since he had received the letter. As soon as he was on the platform he could prove to himself that he was really going to Hogwarts, that it wasn't all a horrible trick or dream.

The pair ran as fast as they could at the wall, Remus making sure to keep his eyes open, not wanting to miss his first glimpse of the mysterious platform.

Bright colours swam ahead of him, making Remus feel a little dizzy but they quickly emerged. Platform 9 ¾ was crowded with both wizards and muggles; distinguishable by their clothing differences. Children were hugging their parents and calling out frantic goodbyes - many were crying; knowing they wouldn't see their families until Christmas at the earliest.

However, Hogwarts was an exciting experience, filled with wonder and magic, students couldn't resist the charm of the ancient castle. The proud hooting of owls from within their cages caused Remus to long for a pet of his own; a friend within the castle - though he knew that caring for an animal when having his condition was not advisable: animals were often sensitive and suspicious around half-breed such as himself.

Remus' mother said something, pulling Remus from his thoughts. "Sorry, what was that Mum?" he asked.

"Have you got your ticket?" In reply, Remus waved the ticket, clutched tightly in his thin, bony hand.

"Money for the trolley?" He took a small bag from within his pocket and shook it lightly, producing a quiet clinking sound.

"Wand? Robes? Quills?" Remus nodded thrice before his mother pulled him into a hug. "Enjoy yourself dear, it'll be wonderful. And don't put yourself down; you deserve to be there as much as any other student."

Seeing his doubtful look, she quickly added, "It only happens one night a month, and there's been many precautions taken; don't worry, you'll be fine."

Remus squeezed her hand quickly and whispered a hurried, "I love you." before trotting over to his dad, who had loaded his trunk onto the train already.

"Bye son, enjoy yourself and we'll see you soon." He pulled his young son into a quick hug before taking a step back, joining his wife.

Remus clambered onto the train, but instead of hurrying along to find a compartment, he attempted to hang around the door, not wanting to lose sight of his parents. However, he was soon ushered along by a prefect who wanted to keep the flow of students moving rhythmically. Remus stooped down and caught hold of his trunk handle, dragging it along the corridor behind him.

Stopping to slide open the door of an empty compartment, Remus quietly slid his trunk in then closed the door behind him. He flopped down on the soft seat and proceeded to prop open a book on his knee, occasionally glancing out the window at his parents.

At first, his father looked slightly disappointed that he was sitting alone, but after a gentle nudge from his mother - which Remus was not certain he was not supposed to see - he too smiled and waved.

Suddenly, a whistle blew - the shrill noise hurt Remus' ears due to his sensitive hearing and the train began to pull away from the platform. Remus waved to his parents; they didn't notice however, as his mother had begun to cry and his father was calming her gently.

Soon, the train was out of the station and into the countryside; however students were still bustling up and down the corridors, hunting for compartments. No one had entered Remus' compartment, which had left him conflicted - he wanted to make friends and be able to enter the castle with the company of others, however he knew that he shouldn't put people at risk by befriending them. He sighed before delving back into his book, determined to distract himself.

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><p>I'd love if you left a review to let me know your thoughts, whether you liked it or not.<p>

I realise it's pretty dull and probably pretty poor too, but hopefully it'll improve.

Thank you if you took the time to read this anyway!

Much love.


	2. The Hogwarts Express

**Hello again! I decided to update again tonight, as I love the idea of posting. It just feels lovely.**

**I'd love if you'd leave me a little review with some constructive criticism: my writing does need a lot of improvement. So if you wouldn't mind then I'd really appreciate it.**

**Also, apologises about this being a slightly slow start. I'm just going to take things slowly for now.**

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><p>However, before long, there was a quiet knock on the glass compartment door and when Remus looked up he saw a small boy with mousy brown hair, which was clinging to his sweating forehead. The boy looked deathly pale and was twitching vigorously. Remus smiled at the stranger, realising if he rejected him when he was this nervous then wouldn't he wouldn't be helping the boy's confidence. The mousy haired boy slid open the door and slipped into the compartment, wordlessly.<p>

"Hello, I'm Remus Lupin."

"P-P-Peter Petti-g-grew," the boy stuttered, not lifting his gaze from Remus.

In return to this gesture, Remus smiled, "Are you a first year too then?"

Peter thought this question through then nodded slowly, "What h-house do you want to be in, R-Remus?"

"I don't mind, I'm sure any house would be nice really, except I'm not so keen on Slytherin. How about you?"

But before Peter could reply, a redhead girl slid open the compartment door. "Do you mind if we sit here? There are no more empty compartments." At the word "we" Remus noticed a dark haired boy standing behind her.

"Of course, come on in! The more the merrier!" Remus exclaimed quickly, determined not to show his increasing worry. The girl raised her eyebrows slightly at Remus' enthusiasm, but said nothing. Instead she dragged in her trunk, upon which sat a cage containing a small black kitten, watching the newcomers with curious blue eyes.

The boy followed, his small, battered trunk in tow.

"I'm Lily, Lily Evans," the girl said confidently, "And this is Severus Snape."

Remus and Peter both introduced themselves and Lily took a seat beside Remus, Severus sitting opposite her.

The compartment remained in silence; Remus continued to read his book. Lily also took out a book -one Remus recognised instantly as Hogwarts A History - and pored over its' contents, wide-eyed and smiling. Remus was sure that the girl was muggleborn though she hadn't mentioned it to him.

Severus on the other hand was content to stare into space. Remus imagined he would be excited about Hogwarts too, and would be imagining the evening that lay ahead of them.

Peter had taken out a deck of chocolate frog cards and was contentedly flicking through them, pausing to read each one and view the picture.

"Sev," Lily asked, breaking the silence, "Can you explain how we get sorted into our houses again, please?"

This statement confirmed Remus' suspicion that Lily was muggleborn - it also told him that Severus was either a half or pure-blood.

Severus smiled at Lily before beginning an explanation of the sorting process and all of the houses you could be sorted into. Lily listened to him intently, taking every word in.

Just as Severus was explaining the qualities of students in each house, the compartment door opened a third time, and two boys were standing patiently. Remus smiled warmly at them and they copied the gesture. However, when the bespectacled boy noticed Lily, his expression changed from happy to shocked and he blushed a deep red. Lily smiled at him, which only caused him to blush harder. Remus stifled a giggle.

The first boy, who had long dark hair, introduced himself as Sirius Black and the boy who was still blushing was James Potter.

They sat down and the carriage was quiet for a while longer, until James inquired as to what houses everyone was hoping to be placed in.

"Slytherin," Snape said quickly, and James snorted.

"Is there a problem? Where would _you_ want to go?" Severus challenged.

"Gryffindor! Where the brave at heart dwell!"

Severus laughed, then he hissed, "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-"

Sirius cried out but before he could retaliate, Lily had stood up.

"Come on Sev, let's go and sit somewhere else instead."

She pulled the boy up from his seat and dragged him from the compartment, smiling apologetically at Remus then slightly more reluctantly at Peter. "Would you like to join us, Remus?" she asked. Remus shook his head gently, trying to convey that he wasn't saying no because he disliked her. Lily understood and smiled again. When James noticed the smile, he moaned softly and she glared at him before storming away.

For the rest of the journey, Remus was tried to remain quiet - he continued to read his book and nibbled on the supply of chocolate he had with him, occasionally giving his opinion on something. Peter was reasonably quiet too, only making small talk with James every so often.

However James and Sirius were rarely silent for longer than a minute, chatting away animatedly about Quidditch. Remus knew both boys had good intentions, but he quietly hoped he wouldn't have to share a room with them.

Eventually a prefect opened their compartment's door and told them to get changed into their Hogwarts robes, which they all complied to. Remus slipped his book and chocolate into the pocket of his robes, knowing that his trunk would be taken elsewhere.

Once they were changed, the four boys sat in silence: all of them too excited for chatter.

Soon the train slowed then came to a stop and the four boys in the compartment stood up.

"We should all stick together," Sirius announced, "I'd rather share a boat with you all than my cousin."

Sirius shuddered at the thought of his cousin, and Remus' curiosity almost got the better of him, but he let the subject drop.

Sirius proceeded to grab the arms of Remus and James, then James followed suit by grabbing Peter, then the four slid out into the compartment before exiting into the corridor. They bustled past the other students and out onto the dark platform.

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><p><strong>So there you have it, Chapter Two. I think it's going quite swimmingly. However, I'm not sure if both Remus and Sirius are a little OOC, but I suppose I want Sirius especially to grow into his character. Plus, it's their very first day, so they're going to be nervous and want to stick together, right?<strong>

**Much Love.**


	3. Hogsmeade Station

**So I'm addicted to posting on here at the moment. I was tempted to post this last night, but I need to pace myself or I'll not be able to post for a while as I won't be able to keep up. (I'm only a chapter ahead of you all, though I have two or three scenes in the future written already xD)**

**So I hope you enjoy this, and as always, I'd love some constructive criticism.**

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><p>"What house do you think you'll be in Remus?" Sirius whispered, as they tried to push through the swarm of students, arms still linked.<p>

"I don't know, I doubt I'll be Slytherin, I'm not very cunning and I'm probably not very brave..." Remus trailed off.

"That leaves Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. You seem like a Ravenclaw to me," Sirius said, smiling.

Remus half-heartedly smiled back, "What about you?"

"Well everyone in my family has been Slytherin, but I really don't want to go there. I'd like to be in Gryffindor, as I think that's where James is going to end up, and I'd like a friend in my house. I'm probably not clever enough for Ravenclaw though and I don't think I'd make a good Hufflepuff."

Sirius seemed to have far more to say than Remus, though Remus was grateful, it meant that he didn't need to say as much.

As they walked under a floating lantern, Sirius glanced at Remus and noticed the scars on his face for the first time.

"Remus, how did you get those scars?" he asked, though he knew he shouldn't be so upfront about it.

"An animal came into the garden when I was little and I tried to make friends with it," Remus replied simply, shrugging as if to say it was no big deal. Sirius didn't reply.

Remus remained silent until they joined the other two boys, beside the giant man who introduced himself as Hagrid, the school's groundskeeper. Soon other first years joined the group, each looking extremely nervous. Many were shaking and silent, but a few managed to control themselves enough to look like they were unfazed by the situation.

Hagrid led the way to a small group of boats by the shore and told them to get into groups of four. The four boys stayed together, before clambering into a boat. James and Sirius found great amusement in rocking the boat from side to side, terrifying poor Peter. Both boys laughed, but then James apologised as he noticed the pudgy boy going slightly green.

Once all of the first years were in a boat, Hagrid clambered loudly into his own boat before they began to sail. For a moment many of the first years marvelled at how the boats could move on their own, especially the muggleborns, who hadn't been exposed to a lot of magic quite yet.

The excitement over the boats was soon forgotten though when they turned past the hill which had been obscuring their view of the grand castle. Its' ancient stone walls were illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight emitting from the window and its' towers and turrets spiralled high, frequently becoming lost in the darkness. A collective gasp came from all of the first years, regardless of whether they had magical heritage or not.

"My parents always told me that the castle was amazing, but you have to see it for yourself to realise. It's just...wow," James whispered.

None of the others reacted; they were all too immersed in the beauty of their home for the next seven years.

The time on the boats flew in quickly and soon all of the students were stepping onto a dimly lit underground shore. Hagrid waved his lantern, the light catching in many a first year's eye and called for them to follow him.

Their footsteps echoed around the dark cavern, no one talking. Each student was worried about their sorting, now only moments away.

Remus began to panic about being put in Slytherin, then a worse though occurred to him. What if the sorting hat says that he can't be sorted as he isn't a true wizard? Could he take being so close to an education, a chance at a normal life only to have it taken from him?

The other three boys looked equally as nervous, though for slightly different reasons to Remus. Sirius was staring at his hands, not watching where he was going, James was running his hand through his unkempt hair while trying his best to steer Sirius in the right direction and Peter was bobbing up and down, his face pale.

Remus took a lock of his own sandy hair and began to twiddle it between his thumbs. It had been a habit since he was bitten; a way to remind himself that he was in fact human. Knowing that his hair was the same as it was before reassured Remus, he knew that he was still the person he used to be, although he still couldn't expose people to himself.

While Remus had been lost in his thoughts the group had reached a large staircase. At the top stood a straight-faced women who bore square spectacles and had her brown hair tied up in a bun.

"Thank you Rubeus," she said, her lips moving quickly, "First years, please follow me."

The group waddled forward, each looking even more terrified than they had previously.

"As you are likely to know, our school is split into four houses - Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house has good qualities and you should be proud to be a member of that house. While at school your house will be like your family - you will earn points by endeavouring and lose points for any rule breaking." She eyed the group of first years suspiciously, as if trying to pick out the likely troublemakers. Her eyes seemed to linger on the group of four boys before moving on swiftly.

"My name is Professor McGonagall, and I am head of Gryffindor house, you should know. Now, please get into pairs and form a line."

Sirius slid into the position on James' right, so Remus moved next to Peter and in front of the other two. Several rows ahead were the redheaded girl Lily Evans and her friend Severus Snape. On seeing Remus, she smiled at him before quickly turning back to facing the front.

"If you'll please follow me," Professor McGonagall announced before swinging open the huge wooden doors that split them from the Great Hall of Hogwarts. She strode in, the line of first years ambling in behind her.

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><p><strong>I hope you all enjoyed this, though admittedly it was pretty dull. I promise I'll try to make some more exciting things happen in the future.<strong>

**Much love.**


	4. The Sorting

**It's the sorting! Yay! I feel like I'm rushing this a little, but since I have around ten more chapters planned for first year at least, then I doubt anyone will want me to go any slower!**

**Though please note, I did say eventual Remus/Sirius, and I really did mean it.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and constructive criticism is welcome as always.**

**DISCLAIMER: Alas, I do not own any of the marauders, Lily, Snape, Dumbldore or any other character you recognise. I also don't own Hogwarts or anything that seems familiar to you.**

**(Also, if you are wondering, The Sorting Hat's song is the one from Goblet of Fire)**

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><p>From the moment Remus stepped inside, he understood why it was called the Great Hall. The room was huge, accommodating four long wooden tables, as well as another raised table at the front. At the four long tables sat the students of Hogwarts, each dressed in their respective house colours. On the far left sat the Slytherins, their robes and ties decorated in green, then sat the blue clothed Ravenclaws. Next to the Ravenclaws were the Hufflepuffs, all wearing yellow and finally the red baring Gryffindors were on the far right.<p>

The staff sat at the front of the hall, however Remus only recognised two members of staff - the half-giant who had taken them across the lake, Rubeus Hagrid and the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Remus would never be able to explain his gratitude to the elderly professor, for without him then he wouldn't be attending Hogwarts. Dumbledore had insisted that he come and had made sure that many precautions were made for his transformations.

The ceiling of the Great Hall was enchanted, as mentioned in Hogwarts A History. Its' sky was currently dark as it was late at night but Remus was sure that it would change depending on the weather outside.

Candles were floating above the tables, illuminating the stone walls and bringing a feeling of warmth.

At the front of the hall sat a stool, and on the stool sat a hat. Once the first years had all gathered at front of the room, the hat opened its' brim and begin to sing:

"_A thousand years or more ago_

_When I was newly sewn,_

_There lived four wizards of renown,_

_Those names are still well known:_

_Bol__d Gryffindor__, from Wild Moor,  
>fair<em>_ Ravenclaw__, from Glen,_

_Swee__t Hufflepuff__, from Valley Broad,_

_Shrewd__ Slytherin__, from Fen._

_They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,_

_They hatched a daring plan__,_

_To educate young sorcerers__,_

_Thus__ Hogwarts School __began._

_Now each of these __four founders__,_

_Formed their own__ house__, for each_

_Did value different virtues,_

_In the ones they had to teach._

_By__ Gryffindor__, the bravest were__,_

_Prized far beyond the rest;_

_For__ Ravenclaw__, the cleverest__,_

_Would always be the best;_

_For__ Hufflepuff__, hard workers were,_

_Most worthy of admission;_

_And power-hungry __Slytherin,_

_Loved those of great ambition._

_While still alive they did divide,_

_Their favourites from the throng,_

_Yet how to pick the worthy ones__,_

_When they were dead and gone?_

_'Twas__ Gryffindor __who found the way,_

_He whipped me off his head_

_The founders put some brains in me__,_

_So I could choose instead!_

_Now slip me snug about your ears,_

_I've never yet been wrong,_

_I'll have a look inside your mind_

_And tell where you belong!"_

When the sorting hat finished the hall burst into applause, though many of the first years were too shocked to react, they just stood, staring.

"When your name is called, please step forward," Professor McGonagall announced once the clapping died down. "Avery, Wayne."

A chubby boy with a round face swaggered forward, looking calm.

He sat on the stool and placed the hat on his head, and after a few seconds it called out, "SLYTHERIN!"

The boy waddled down from the stool and went over to the Slytherin table, plopping himself down as the cheers died down.

"Baxter, Lynn."

A small girl with long dark hair tied back hurried up to the stool, her face pale. The hat was too big for her and covered most of her face, causing a few sniggers from the Slytherin table.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Lynn took off the hat and skipped towards the yellow table, smiling broadly.

"Black, Sirius."

Remus caught the boy's eye and smiled. Sirius returned the gesture before going to take his seat upon the stool.

There was a long silence where everybody waited patiently, wondering which house the young Black would be sorted into. He was expected to be sorted into Slytherin, but he seemed different to the rest of his family.

Remus, remembering what Sirius had told him on the platform, hoped that he was placed in Gryffindor, as he would do well there.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled and Sirius took it off, before slowly edging down.

There was no applause for Sirius' sorting, instead there were many whispers and a few loud protests from some of the Slytherin students.

Sirius looked pleased but terrified at the same time, and he went over to the table and sat down, slightly isolated from the others.

The next student, a girl called Karen Davies, was sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Evans, Lily."

Lily stepped forward, trying not to show that she was afraid, and her long red hair trailing behind her. She smiled slightly as the hat was placed on her head. It contemplated for a while before calling, "GRYFFINDOR!"

She smiled sadly at Severus, who was shaking his head before hurrying over to her table, keeping her distance from Sirius.

The next few students were sorted and before Remus had even realised how far in they were he heard his own name. "Lupin, Remus."

He trailed up to the front, shaking slightly at the attention he was getting from the students before sitting on stool, trying to stay calm.

"Ooh, we have an interesting one here. A werewolf I see?" the hat said, startling Remus. He looked around to see if the others had heard anything, but they seemed not to have. His secret hadn't just been revealed. Remus relaxed slightly, but still remained worried.

"You could make a good Ravenclaw, a good thirst for knowledge. Though you would make an excellent Gryffindor too."

"I'm not very brave," Remus thought, "I'm just Remus, I'm not brave."

"Whether you realise or not, you are indeed very brave. Therefore it better be-"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus felt faint - he was in Gryffindor. He wasn't brave enough, he was just Remus, the one who didn't even try to make friends. How could he of all people be a Gryffindor?

He also realised with a jolt that he'd be sharing a room with Sirius, therefore he couldn't exactly refuse his friendship constantly.

The Gryffindor table was clapping and cheering loudly, and Remus hurried over, sitting in the seat Sirius indicated beside him. He clapped Remus on the back and congratulated him, smiling broadly.

The sorting continued, three other girls - Mary MacDonald, Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadows - were sorted into Gryffindor.

"Pettigrew, Peter."

Peter stepped up, his face white. He sat down on the stool but was shaking so violently that he fell off, much to the amusement of the Slytherins. Sirius glared pointedly in their direction.

After much deliberation the hat cried, "GRYFFINDOR!" and Peter scurried over to the table, sitting on Remus' right, a huge grin on his face. For the second time that night there was no applause. None of the students seemed to be able to comprehend the fact that the boy wasn't a Hufflepuff.

"I did it! I'm a Gryffindor!" he said, laughing, "Mum will be so proud of me. I reckon she thought I'd be a Hufflepuff."

Peter seemed to have found some extra confidence after his sorting, he wasn't even stuttering when he spoke.

"Potter, James."

James sauntered up, managing to look reasonably calm. The hat barely touched his head before it cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Once again the Gryffindor table burst into applause and James took a little bow before hurrying over and taking a seat.

"We're all in the same house!" he announced happily, "How brilliant is that?"

"Yeah, it's great..." Remus said. None of the others noticed his lack of enthusiasm.

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><p><strong>Thank you all for taking the time to read this.<strong>

**Much love.**


	5. To Gryffindor Tower

**Hello again dear readers!**

**Thank you all for reviewing/favouriting/alerting this, it truly is lovely and probably too kind of you all. :3**

**Anyway, here's another chapter, which I think is a bit of a filler, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Though I'd say this is my least favourite chapter in the story so far admittedly.**

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><p>The sorting continued for a while longer, the only other addition to Gryffindor being a short, mousy haired girl called Alice Prewett.<p>

After the last student, Emma Vanity, had been sorted into Slytherin, Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"I am pleased to welcome all of you to our lovely castle for another exciting year at Hogwarts. I'm sure this year will be delightful. Though there a few things I warn you of however. Firstly, the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students, unless they are accompanied by a teacher or wish to put themselves in grave danger. Hogwarts has also accepted a new tree into its' grounds during the summer, The Whomping Willow. I advise you all to stay away from it, as there will be no hesitation in it trying to hurt you with its' branches."

Remus realised that the tree Dumbledore was describing was the tree that had been planted for him: it guarded the entrance to the placed he would transform, an abandoned shack out of the grounds.

"I would like to remind you that our new caretaker, Argus Filch , has a list of the many banned objects from our school and I implore you to follow the guidelines laid out by it. Alas, I must end my speech, however I would also like to add that sherbet lemons are a truly delightful muggle sweet."

Dumbledore then sat down as the applause of the students filled the room.

"Is he m-m-mad?" Peter squeaked, his confidence gone once again.

"I think he might be," James replied, "Though he is also the most brilliant wizard alive."

The group of boys continued to talk for a while, Remus contributing the least, and then food suddenly appeared on the plates in front of them, much to their amazement.

"This looks delicious!" James yelled, catching the attention of many people around them. He then grabbed his own plate and began to pile food onto it. Sirius followed suit, however he had slightly better table manners than James and helped himself in smaller portions. Peter loaded his plate with as much food as it could hold before tucking into it, his eyes bulging. However Remus only took a small plate of food, not feeling particularly hungry since it was the full moon in little over five days.

"Remus, you really should eat more, you're so thin!" Sirius remarked before going back to his own plate. Remus ignored his suggestion and continued to pick at his food, pretending to eat.

After the majority of the hall had finished their meals, the food on the plate vanished, only to be replaced with desserts seconds later. Peter's face lit up and the others laughed.

Remus was pleased to notice there was a chocolate cake sitting nearby, and helped himself to a huge slice.

"You know, that's probably more food than you ate during your main course," James observed. Remus smiled then shrugged before digging into the cake.

"Chocolate is always the best thing to eat, or so I say," Remus told the others. They looked at him a little oddly before carrying on with their own, chocolate-free, desserts.

Once the desserts vanished, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet once again.

"I hope you all enjoyed the feast, though I'm afraid we must all turn in or we may not rise early tomorrow morning. First years, follow your prefects to your common rooms, the rest of the school may make their own way there. I bade goodnight to you all."

Many of the people got up from their seats and swarmed towards the huge wooden door, however the nine Gryffindor first years stayed seated at the table. Six older students approached the small group and introduced themselves as the Gryffindor prefects.

They then headed off in the direction of the common room.

"Look at the portraits!" Remus heard Lily remark to the girl next to her, though he couldn't remember her name.

"Aren't muggle portraits like that too?" the girl asked, clearly confused.

"No, they can't move or talk," Lily told her and the girl appeared to be pretty surprised by this.

Remus didn't listen to her reply; instead he looked around the large room they were in.

There were many staircases, connecting various platforms with doors leading from them. However the staircases moved around, meaning that sometimes patience and logic were required to get to your destination.

The walls were littered with portraits, all of whom were all moving and talking animatedly to one another. A few called out to the prefects that they knew from previous years and then to the group of first years, causing many stare at them in awe.

The small group climbed higher and higher, until they reached the seventh and highest floor of the castle. They stopped in front of a portrait of a woman, and one of the prefects began to speak, "This is the portrait of The Fat Lady and behind her is the entrance to our common room. You need only give her the password and she'll let you through, but do not tell other houses the password."

He then turned to face the portrait, "Domum fortis." The woman snorted before swinging open, revealing a room behind her.

Remus clambered through after Sirius and smiled. The room was red, Gryffindor's predominant colour, and had many couches and armchairs dotted around. There was a large stone fireplace giving heat to the room. On either side, there was a doorway with stairs behind it.

"If you'll please split into boys and girls you shall now be shown your dormitories."

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><p><strong>Constructive criticism is more than welcom<strong>**e, I'd really appreciate any tips of how to improve my writing, as it does need it.**

**Thank you all for reading this once again.**

**Much love.**


	6. The First Night and Morning

**I haven't updated in ages. I'm so sorry, I sort of had writer's block for this and I still sort of do. I'm afraid this chapter is relatively dull, though I hope the story will pick up a little bit in the future.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

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><p>Remus moved towards the male prefect who was waiting for them, along with Peter, Sirius and James. They'd been the only boys sorted into Gryffindor in their year.<p>

The prefect headed up the set of spiral stairs and stopped at a room near the top of the tower. He opened the door and Remus noticed that all of their belongings were waiting for them.

"This is your dormitory, and will be your home for the next seven years. Across from here is your bathroom. You may choose which bed you wish to sleep in. That is all."

The prefect left the room and Remus surveyed his surroundings. The room was spherical and there were four large four-poster beds, each draped elegantly in red fabric. In the centre of the room was a stove which provided warmth to the dormitory. The floor was wooden and the windows were latticed, though it was too dark for Remus to see the room's view when he sauntered over.

"I want this bed!" James yelled at threw himself onto the bed closest to the door.

"What's so special about that one?" Remus asked. James shrugged.

Sirius claimed the bed on the opposite side from James, which left Peter and Remus to choose.

"What bed would you like Peter?" Remus asked, he didn't mind which bed he slept in, after all he was extraordinarily lucky to even be in the castle never mind have the choice of which bed he wanted.

"Are you s-s-sure you don't want to p-p-pick?" Peter asked timidly.

"I don't mind. Go ahead, you can choose."

Without hesitation Peter leapt onto the bed nearer to James, thus Remus took occupation of the final bed.

Remus flicked through his trunk, which he had dragged to the bottom of his bed, in pursuit of his toothbrush and pyjamas. When he retrieved them, James looked at him oddly.

"What? Have I done something wrong?" Remus asked worriedly.

"No, no," laughed James, "I just don't think you'll be sleeping quite yet."

Remus repressed the urge to groan.

Fifteen minutes later, the four boys were seated around the dormitory's stove, bedcovers draped around them. James had produced a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans from his trunk, as well as, much to Remus' delight, a box of Chocolate Frogs.

James spoke first, "Since we're going to be living together for seven years, we need to get to know each other a bit better."

Remus gulped slightly.

"So I propose we play a game. Someone asks you a question and if you answer you pick a sweet, if not, you don't. Sound fair?"

Peter instantly nodded enthusiastically and Sirius agreed pretty soon afterwards. Remus reluctantly agreed, as he didn't want to stand out from the others, though he wasn't very comfortable with this idea.

James asked the first question, "Sirius, full name?"

"Sirius Orion Black," he replied before helping himself to a Bertie Bott's bean.

"Remus, favourite colour?" Sirius then continued.

The game continued for a while, each question getting slightly more personal than the last. After a while James suggested that they went to bed.

Remus stood up, dragged his covers to his bed and curled up. It was still dawning on him that he was really at Hogwarts - that he had the chance to be educated.

The tired boy closed his eyes and willed sleep to take him quickly, though his wish wasn't granted. All the others had fallen asleep, so Remus lay silently in the darkness. He already missed his parents and he wasn't going to see them until Christmas. Though he would be fine alone, just like all the others were.

Remus' last thought before falling asleep was of how he was going to enjoy his first term here in the wonderful castle.

"Time to get up!" a voice announced, dragging a groggy Remus back to reality. He opened his eyes, pulled back his curtains and was blinded by sunlight. Once he had recovered he looked around to see James standing on his bed and the other two boys' curtains drawn.

"Don't they need to get up soon?" Remus asked. James shrugged before climbing down and reaching into his trunk in pursuit of clothes.

Instead of doing the same, Remus wandered over to the window and looked out into the castle's magnificent grounds. Below the tower he could glimpse a deserted stone courtyard, and beyond it were trees and the deep blue lake. The boy longed to wander outside for a while, but instead turned away and proceeded to hunt for his uniform.

Eventually, Peter and Sirius got up, and once all four boys were ready they made their way down to The Great Hall for their first breakfast at Hogwarts.

When the boys arrived the hall was crowded, though no one was particularly interested in a group of first years so they remained unnoticed. The group squeezed into a gap in the crowded table and Peter instantly began to pile up his plate greedily. James and Sirius followed suit, though not to the same extent as Peter and Remus picked at some cereal. Unlike the previous night, neither James nor Sirius commented on Remus' lack of eating. A wave of relief spread over the fawn haired boy as he realised he would be left alone and not attract attention from the table.

Halfway through breakfast Professor McGonagall, the stern-faced teacher they had encountered the previous night bustled up the corridor between the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs and thrust their timetables into the student's outstretched hands. All four boys quickly took note of the subjects they had that day- Charms, Potions and double Herbology in the morning, then Defence Against the Dark Arts and Flying Lessons in the afternoon. James and Sirius both whooped at the thought of flying and began to chatter excitedly. Remus groaned quietly, as he was useless on a broom but continued to think happily. He had an entire day full of classes awaiting him. Classes that he never thought he would be able to take during his lifetime. And he also had friend-like acquaintances that he would spend his day with. His life had really looked up in the last while. A simple thing such as a Flying Lesson wouldn't make him sad.

"Come on guys!" Peter exclaimed loudly, dragging Remus back to reality, "We don't want to be late for our first class!"

With Peter's statement ringing through his mind, Remus grabbed his satchel and stood up, followed by the others and they walked out of the hall into the castle, bound for Charms.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading! (=<strong>

**Much love.**


	7. Remus' First Day

**I haven't updated in a while, I'm really sorry! Things have been fairly busy and I have exams next month so I've been revising. I've also had quite a bit of writer's block, hence this chapter is nothing fabulous. I apologise, though I'm not exactly sure when my next update will be. I'm so sorry.**

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><p>The four boys arrived to Charms reasonably early: the only other occupants of the class being Lily Evans, the redhead from the train, and Severus Snape. James picked a seat near the middle of the classroom, not wanting to be too near to either the front or back during his first lesson, and Sirius sat down beside him. Remus resided in the row in front, and Peter looked apprehensively at him, as if asking his permission to sit down. A quick flash of a smile was enough to reassure Peter and he quickly flopped down onto the chair.<p>

Chatter flowed easily amongst the quartet, all four excited for the lesson ahead of them. Slowly the classroom filled up, and eventually a tiny professor skipped in. "I am Professor Flitwick!" he announced, his voice high and squeaky. James sniggered slightly but said nothing.

"I will be teaching you Charms for the foreseeable future and I hope to make your time in this class very enjoyable."

He then tottered up to the raised platform at the front of the class. "We shall not be performing magic today, I'm afraid," he began, his eyes scanning the classroom of eleven year olds, "We shall instead practise the waving of our wands." James snorted but didn't complain audibly and Peter watched the small man intently. Remus did his best to pay attention in case he could pick up any tips, but in his excitement at getting accepted, he had practised several spells, so knew how to wave a wand.

An hour later, the four boys emerged and headed in the direction of Potions. This class was also shared with the Slytherins, much to the dismay of both James and Sirius. Lily passed them on the way down, hurrying ahead with Severus, and once more smiled at Remus before speeding on. "She will be mine someday..." James muttered dreamily before being elbowed in the ribs by Sirius.

The Potions class was fairly dark when the Gryffindors arrived, and at the front stood a large man. "I'm Professor Slughorn, the potions master. Now if you don't mind, I'll be directing you to your seats."

He began to usher the group of first years around the classroom. Lily beamed as she was placed next to Severus, and James scowled when he realised. Remus was pretty pleased when he found out he would be working with a friendly face: Sirius.

"It looks like we're working together then, eh Rem?"

Remus nodded shyly before blushing slightly at how embarrassing he was; he couldn't even talk to the closest thing he had to a friend. Yet, he was grateful that he was paired with Sirius, and not a stranger, as he would probably have found himself completely terrified about talking to them.

"Today we won't be brewing anything, though we will be viewing a few potions I have prepared earlier."

Potions passed fairly quickly, then so did double Herbology and Defence Against the Dark Arts, leaving Flying Lessons at the end of the day. Remus had been dreading the lesson since this morning, due to his lack of athletic skill.

The first year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs gathered on the grass, many looking around nervously. A grey haired witch hurried forward. "Hello class, today we will be learning to fly. I assume some of you probably know how to already, but for those who don't, listen closely."

The witch spent a few minutes explaining what to do before letting the class attempt to fly on their own. Within seconds, both James and Sirius had summoned their brooms and were zooming around the sky delightedly. Remus wasn't having any luck however, as his broom didn't even roll over when he shouted, "Up!" After a while, even Peter managed to get his broom to rise up and was flying around slowly, taking care not to fall.

Eventually, only Remus and a dark haired Hufflepuff girl were left on the ground. Remus sighed as he ordered his broom to rise once more, but to his dismay it still didn't budge. Sirius, who had previously been flying very close to the terrified Hufflepuffs, noticed Remus' struggle and flew over.

"Mr Black!" the grey haired teacher, who was known as Madam Hooch yelled, "What are you doing?"

"I'm helping Remus of course!" Sirius told her as he dismounted. Sirius turned to face Remus, "It's all about believing in yourself. Look." Sirius grabbed Remus' hand and moved it over to the broom, "Go on," he urged.

"Up!" Remus cried a little more confidently. He smiled as the broom twitched.

"Try again Remus, be confident!" Sirius said, smiling at him.

"Up! Up! Up!"

On Remus' third call, the broom rose straight into his outstretched hand.

"You did it!" Sirius whooped, calling up his own broom, "Ready to fly?"

Remus shook his head, but Sirius only laughed and soon convinced the other boy to take off. Flying wasn't at all easy, but Remus soon found it to be quite relaxing - when he flew close to the ground and had Sirius nearby that was.


	8. Transformation

**I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Two weeks until the prelims, oh dear.**

**Anyway, I have produced some writing, which hopefully isn't too bad. So I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Also, thank you all for reviewing! (=**

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><p>Later that evening, both James and Sirius were still marvelling at their flying talent. Remus tried to ignore their boasting, but eventually slipped away from the group. He wandered the corridors of the ancient castle, admiring the beauty within. The lycanthrope still hadn't processed that this wonderous building would be his home for the next seven years. Remus stopped at a window overlooking the grounds and gazed outside. The sun was low in the sky, just peeking above the horizon so that the grounds were dimly illuminated. Far from the window lay a large tree, which appeared to be moving. Remus watched it intently for a while and discovered it was indeed swinging around its large, leafy branches. It occurred to Remus that this was likely the tree Professor Dumbledore had mentioned during the feast. He continued to glance idly at the tree, before a voice interrupted him.<p>

"I see you have discovered The Whomping Willow, Mr Lupin."

Remus spun around and found himself at level with the long silvery beard of Professor Dumbledore. "H-how d-did you find me?" Remus stuttered, gaping at the wizard.

"I told you I'd find you tonight to speak to you about your arrangements. And that was a promise I intended to keep." Dumbledore smiled before turning back to the window.

"The Whomping Willow contains a passageway underneath it, which leads to an old abandoned shack, in which you will be transforming. I can assure you, the tunnel is completely secure," the elderly man continued before Remus could interrupt. "There is a knot in the tree trunk that will allow you access, though Madam Pomfrey will always be accompanying you anyway."

Dumbledore turned away from the window and started ambling down the corridor, humming to himself. "Follow me if you please."

Shortly afterwards, the pair was standing out in the grounds, watching the willow's branches dance through the cool air of the evening. Dumbledore effortlessly levitated a twig with his wand and launched it gently at the knot on the tree. The branches parted, allowing the elderly man entry and he beckoned Remus to follow him into the gloom underneath.

The tunnel was dark, yet surprisingly long and Remus soon found himself wondering how far away the shack was. However, not long afterwards he emerged into a poorly lit room. The place was old - the furniture was rickety, the floorboards were worn and the curtains were sagging precariously from the pelmet. Dust sprawled luxuriously across the furnishings of the hut, and Remus began to cough softly. "This is where you'll be transforming," Dumbledore told the young boy, "It's not exactly lush, but it'll do."

Remus nodded in response, still taking in his surroundings. "T-thank you. For everything."

Dumbledore merely smiled in response before leading the way to the murky tunnel once more.

On Sunday afternoon Remus was terrified. It was mere hours until he would transform into the wolf, and he still hadn't explained to his friends that he would be absent that evening, as well as the next day. "Uhh, guys?" The other three boys turned around, watching Remus expectantly.

"I have a secret to tell you, I should probably have mentioned it sooner than now... My mother, she's often very ill. And when she falls ill, I often need to return home to see her, well y'know, just in case she... passes on." Peter gasped while Sirius and James looked solemn. "Well she's taken ill again, and I need to head home to see her in a few hours. I'll probably be back on Tuesday or something."

"Oh, that's awful Remus," James told him, sympathy filling his eyes. The other two boys agreed and then the subject was forgotten for the moment.

That evening, Remus bid his friends goodbye and headed to the hospital wing. He was moving slowly and was pale, with his hair hanging limply around his face. Bags draped themselves under his eyes and his lips were twitching. Madam Pomfrey was waiting for him by the time he arrived. She smiled at him, "Ready to go?" Remus nodded, slipped another piece of chocolate into his mouth and fell into step behind her.

The shack hadn't changed in the few days since Remus had first visited it - dust was still cluttered everywhere and the furniture was still moth eaten. Madam Pomfrey knelt down and tore up a floorboard. "Put your clothes in here after I leave - that way they'll be safe. I'll be back as soon as sun rises. You'll be okay, don't worry." She smiled at him pityingly again before turning to leave the hut.

Once Remus was alone, he stripped off his clothes and placed them under the floorboard as he had been instructed. Then he positioned himself so he could watch his dreaded nemesis rise into the sky. As the silvery orb rose, Remus found himself twitching anxiously and fiddling with his hair. The higher the moon rose, the more nervous Remus became. Seconds before it reached its pinnacle tears ran down his cheeks. Then he began to transform.

His bones snapped audibly and reformed in a canine structure. His ears erupted from the sides of his head, shooting upwards towards his crown. His skin became hairy and his nails became claws. His blood spattered teeth fell from his gums and fangs grew in their place. His nose became a snout and his hands became paws. His amber eyes turned yellow and the wolf took control - howling and whining for the duration of the night.

When Remus awoke, he screamed. The young boy was coated in his own blood, wounds ruptured across his body. During the night the wolf had torn at itself, and now, as a human once more, the pain was unbearable. Panting, Remus looked around the shack. The dust no longer lingered on the remainder of the old furniture - instead it was replaced by claw marks and more blood. Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen, and Remus felt as if he was destined to die. However, the matron dashed in soon afterwards and applied dittany to his wounds. It stung, and many of the wounds didn't heal completely, but it was still a relief to Remus. The night was over: he was free for another month.


End file.
